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Monthly Archives: June 2014

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Happy Monday! Ugh, I got such a bad taste in my mouth when I wrote that. Happy and Monday just don’t go together. Although, today they do!

I’m making up for leaving you hanging on Friday with zero blog post by doing a Fan Girl Monday! Woot, woot!

I’m sure all of you have seen this, but its totally worth sharing again! Last week, a new teaser for Mockingjay: Part One hit the interwebs and Tributes everywhere collectively squealed.

I. CANNOT. WAIT. For November!

Tomorrow is July 1st, so you know what that means! No, not fireworks, Comic Con is almost here! *Kermit arm flail* YAAAAAAYYY! I’m sure all you fanboys and fangirls are putting the last minute touches on your cosplay attire, but if you still need some fancy frocks to wear to the Masquerade Ball, check out this!

You can’t take the sky from me.

It’s a Browncoat coat! You can look oh-so-shiny at #SDCC this year!

So, I have to admit something. I don’t actually watch Game of Thrones. Well, I take that back. I’ve watched like, half of season one. But I do catch a few scenes here and there and I’m pretty up-to-date on the “haps” because of my Pinterest feed. But, when I saw this, I cracked up! I equate it with watching Harry Potter with people who haven’t read the books. It’s oddly exhilarating.

Sometimes, when I see weddings on Pinterest, I get sad and wish I would’ve thought to do some of the things others have done at my wedding (don’t get me wrong, my wedding was awesome-sauce, but walking out to the Imperial March would’ve been stellar!). But this really makes me say, “WHY DIDN’T WE DO THIS?!”

Here lately, my news feed has been blowing up with bloggers talking about modesty. Seriously; if its not “What Game of Thrones Character Are You?” quizzes, its a debate about modesty.

I’ve read a few of the articles. Some I agree with, some I don’t. Some make me roll my eyes and others make me take a long look at myself. I initially swore off talking about this subject, but now I think I’ll join in.

Growing up, I also heard the phrase: “Modest is Hottest” (not from my parents; they more like: “That doesn’t pass the school dress code, so it doesn’t pass ours”). One blogger made a great observation about using those three words. She said (and I’m paraphrasing because I can’t find the article): “If modest is hottest, why dress modestly? I thought the point of dressing modestly was to de-sexualize. By saying ‘modest is hottest’, you’re essentially confusing young girls.”

Another article I read (again, I searched and searched Facebook, but I couldn’t find it! Agh!) discussed that when we talk modesty, its usually pointed at the girls with: “Dress modestly so boys won’t get any ideas and think ‘you’re asking for it’.”

That struck a nerve with me too. Why should girls always be the ones responsible for a boys’ thoughts or actions? Why can’t he take responsibility for the way he thinks and acts? Maybe along with talking to girls about modesty, we should be telling boys not to be jerks, that “no means no”, and to treat everyone with respect and dignity.

So where do I come down on the whole debate of modesty? Here are my thoughts:

1. Modesty doesn’t mean you have to dress like the children from the original Cheaper by the Dozen.

These swimsuits are so comfortable.

You don’t have to don a throat to ankle swimsuit to be considered modest. I always thought: “Would I be comfortable wearing this around my grandparents?” If the answer was no, 9 times out of 10, I would change.

2. EVERYONE is responsible for the things they think, say, and do…

YOU are not responsible for the way someone thinks toward you, talks to you, or their attitude. You can only control yourself.

3. …But also be aware of how you’re representing yourself to others.

I wouldn’t walk into a job interview wearing Daisy Duke cut-offs, a crop top, and piles of makeup. I’d want people to know I was a professional, so I would dress professionally. I think the same goes for life.

4. Everyone (but it seems especially girls) struggle with self-worth, desire to be loved, and need for acceptance. Some use clothes to reflect that.

It can be such a frustrating, maddening conundrum when picking out attire. Especially when you want to convey an array of different messages while also being comfortable. Maybe stop looking at what others are wearing and try taking a look a the person within.

What about you? What do you think about the whole modesty debate? Did you have rules about what you could and couldn’t wear as a kid? Do you impose rules on your child’s wardrobe?

Because when I looked, I would either be extremely relieved or extremely disappointed. Right now, I was totally and completely ignorant; I was in emotional purgatory—neither happy nor sad. Neither elated nor distraught. I liked it that way. I was comfortable there. And I certainly didn’t want to mess up a good thing, thank you very much.

Soon, however, the group collected shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the bulletin board started to disperse. I saw the frowns on some faces, smiles on others, and high-fives happening around me. The person who tried out just before I did looked up at the list, sighed, and shuffled away. More grins, more head hanging, until finally, I was the last person standing in front of the board.

There was nothing left to do but seal my fate. I would either be a part of the team or just another spectator, cheering them on from the stands.

What does it matter, anyway? I asked myself. Most of the people on the team are a bunch of meat-head, wide-shouldered jerks that thought they owned the school. Did I really want to be a part of that?

Yes. Yes I did.

I drew in a deep breath and put my finger on the board, touching every name as I went down, looking for my own. My heart beat faster and faster, I was quickly making it to the end of the list.

Ten more names…

Five more names…

Three more names…

One more…

I stopped before the last name. This is it. This will determine my social standing for the next year.

I’m always looking for easy and fun recipes on Pinterest (keyword: easy). Basically if a recipe has less than 5 ingredients and 5 steps, I’m totally on board. And, thankfully, Pinterest delivered!

Here’s what you need:

~1 can Pillsbury biscuits

~mozzarella cheese

~pepperoni

~a waffle iron

First, plug in your waffle iron to pre-heat. Then, pop open the can of biscuits (and try not to scream in terror like I did when the can literally pops) and separate the biscuits. Split the biscuits in the middle, but leave a little “biscuit hinge” like so (It’ll be a lot easier to close up the biscuits and not have all of the stuffing’s fall out):

Sprinkle your cheese and pepperoni (I also put a dash of oregano and garlic powder in there, just so it wouldn’t be so bland). After you’ve place your fixin’s, close up the biscuit and place in your pre-heated waffle iron.

A minute (or so) later, your waffle pizza will be ready to eat!

These things were SOOO tasty! Huff the Hubs said, “Uh, these need to be in the permanent dinner rotation!” Homeboy ate FOUR (and a half)! These would be great for a kid’s sleepover or movie night with the family!

Okay, guys. I know this is so lame; using my pull as your favorite blogger (wink, wink) to get you to do me a favor. But, I’m going to anyway.

I entered my little Gryffindor into a contest on Parent’s Magazine’s website for a chance to grace the cover of one of their issues! I promise I’m not going to put her in weird pageants and cake makeup on her a la Toddlers and Tiaras. I don’t want to turn into one of those “stage moms” and I sure as heck don’t want my precious little puddin’ to turn into one of those kids.

Because, seriously, just the mere thought of turning into that makes me want to vom.

Having said that, I humbly ask you to please click this link and vote for Hermione. Voting ENDS on Sunday, June 29th and you can vote DAILY so please be sure to vote until this Sunday! I really, really appreciate your help! And so does she!

I am SO. FLIPPIN. Glad it’s Friday. Not because it’s the start of the weekend, but because my long-lost-bearded-babe will be returning tomorrow! Huff the Hubs has been in Cali this week, learning all kinds of interesting things that I know nothing about and he FINALLY comes home tomorrow! Hermione and I have been in countdown mode pretty much since he stepped onto the plane.

But, in all my joy at my geeky guy’s return to the Heartland, I have not forgotten about you! I’ve found some nerdy novelties sure to tickle your fancy!

If you haven’t seen Maleficent yet, you really need to! My sister LURVES Mal (she’s her favorite Disney villainess) and I think she needs this dress! She can channel her inner dark fairy with this adorable a-line dress from Think Geek!

Well, well…dressed!

I went to the movies the other day and saw The Fault in Our Stars (great flick; take tissues!) and while I was at the theater, I saw a poster for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. I wish it was November 21st already! Sadly, its still months away. But, Lionsgate knows we’re anxiously awaiting its release and has decided to whet our appetites with these propaganda posters, fresh from The Capitol:

Excited yet?

If you’re like me, you don’t like the dark. But, I also don’t like Daleks. However, I think I’ll feel much safer with this Dalek keeping watch over me at night:

IL-LU-MI-NATE!

Is everyone lamenting the end (for a few months away) of Game of Thrones? What will happen to Tyrion? What about Dany’s dragons? Will we ever learn what product Jon Snow uses to make his curls stay so nicely intact? If these questions are ever-running through your mind, you may need some of these awesome GoT inspired gifts! Check out the full list here.

Here lately, I’ve been struggling to think of things to blog about. There are a lot of things happening in the world, but most of them are political. And I don’t do politics. Mostly because I probably disagree with a large number of people and I don’t have the time or energy to deal with the inevitable foolishness of those that want to make personal attacks via the interwebs.

Anywhoo…

So while I was cleaning the other day, I came across a book I literally haven’t picked up since I bought it FOUR years ago:

This book has pages and pages of writing prompts, ideas, quotes, and inspiration for writing. And I thought: “Hey! Why not do a feature each week with a short story? This will give me something to blog about and keep my writing skills up to snuff!”

That’s exactly what I’ve decided to do. Every Wednesday from henceforth will be: Writer Wednesday. I’ll pick a prompt from the book and write a short story for your amusement (or chagrin).

Let’s get to it! Today’s prompt is:

He helped me into the car. I didn’t know where we were going. I was excited at first; this mysterious trip had obviously been planned for a while. I saw him on the phone, talking softly into the receiver a few days back. He caught me looking at him and flashed me a grin. Surely we were going to a wonderful locale.

He didn’t take me on too many trips. We normally just stayed home. I think he was a little embarrassed by me. I couldn’t blame him; there were some things I had done in public that most people wouldn’t dare do. I didn’t care what other people thought of me, though. He loved me and I stood by him, for better or for worse.

We piled into the car. He turned the radio on and started singing, patting me on the shoulder when I looked at him. It was a nice out, so he rolled the window down. He knew how much I loved to feel the wind whipping through my hair. I breathed in deep. I loved the smells of summer. I could actually taste the burgers someone was grilling a few blocks away. My stomach growled; when had I eaten last?

We drove for what felt like forever. The scenes were vaguely familiar; like I had been this way before. I started to get a little anxious—where were we going? I looked over at him for answers. He said nothing, just smiled at me and rubbed my cheek. His touch soothed me, so I relaxed a little. I closed my eyes and let the wind rush over me.

Suddenly, I felt the car stop. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see where we were. I let out a moan as I made out the letters on the sign: